Apparatus for attaching electrically operated devices to a display panel

ABSTRACT

A display unit includes a number of connectors for attaching and powering electrically powered devices, such as illuminated jewelry items, each including a battery and an end cap which is removed when the item is placed on the display connector. Each of the connectors includes a threaded mounting surface engaging a threaded mounting surface of one of the devices. The orientation of each device is adjusted by its rotation in engagement with the connector as a resiliently mounted electrical contact surface of the connector is held in contact with a contact surface of the device so that electrical power is retained within the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the attachment of one or more electricallyoperated devices to a display panel, more particularly, to a connectorattaching one of such devices to provide electrical power to the devicein a manner allowing for adjustment of the orientation of the device onthe panel, and additionally to apparatus for displaying electricallyilluminated jewelry.

2. Summary of the Background Art

The patent literature includes a number of descriptions of jewelry itemsincluding LEDs (light emitting diodes) illuminated by one or moreminiature batteries held within the jewelry items or attached thereto.For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,630 describes a decorative article forwearing on clothing, having LEDs that alternately flash on and off. U.S.Pat. No. 4,076,976 describes an assembly including a battery and a pairof connectors that causes an LED mounted on a piece of jewelry to emit aflashing light when a pair of pins extending from the jewelry is pressedinto the connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,261 describes a charm carryinga battery operated light that may be turned on and off. U.S. Pat. No.5,934,784 describes an intermittently illuminated article of apparelthat includes a light source and a flasher connected to the lightsource. U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,435 describes a small portable lightincluding a battery and a flexible wire that can be twisted around aterminal to energize an LED.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of a currentlyavailable electrically operated jewelry item 10, which is understood tobe a device to be worn for display or ornamental purposes. The jewelryitem 10 includes a placard 12, which is visible outwardly when thejewelry item 10 is worn, and a battery housing 14, which extends in therearward direction of arrow 16 from the placard 12. The placard 12includes a number of LEDs 18, each visible through a window 20 in afront surface 22, that are flashed on and off by a circuit (not shown)within the placard 12 electrically connected to a pair of batteries 24,such as CR927 round batteries, within the battery housing 14. Thebatteries 24 are held within the battery housing 14 by means of abattery cap 26. The jewelry item 10 further includes an internal magnet28 and an external magnet 30, which together hold the jewelry item 10 inplace when it is worn with a clothing layer, such as a shirt pocket orcollar disposed between the rear surface 32 of the battery cap 26 andthe external magnet 30.

The battery cap 26 is removably attached to the battery housing 14 bymeans of external threads 34 of the battery cap 26 engaging a threadedmounting surface 36 of the battery housing 14. Electrical power to thecircuit within the placard 12 is provided from an outer surface 38 ofthe batteries 24 through the conductive inner magnet 28, through theconductive battery cap 26 and through the conductive battery housing 14,with an inner surface 40 of the batteries 24 being held against acentral contact surface 42 of the placard 12. The central contactsurface 42 is disposed coaxially with the threaded mounting surface 36of the battery housing 14. When the inner surface 40 of the batteries 24is held away from the central contact surface 42, as it is in theexample of FIG. 1, electrical current does not flow from the batteries24 into the circuit within the placard 12 to illuminate the LEDs 18,which are then turned on by turning the battery cap 26 as a knob tobring the inner surface 40 into contact with the central contact surface42. A nonconductive resilient ring 44 may be additionally installedbetween the batteries 24 and the placard 12 to hold the inner surface 40out of contact with the central contact surface 42 when the battery cap26 has not been screwed inward to turn the LEDs 18 on.

While the jewelry item 10 is being worn on a user's clothing, thebatteries 24 provide sufficient power to illuminate low-power devices,such as the LEDs 18. However, it is additionally desirable to provide adisplay unit in which one or more of the jewelry items 10 may bedisplayed for sale, with the LEDs 18 being illuminated with power froman external source, so that the LEDs can remain on and flashing forextended periods within a store displaying the jewelry items 10 forsale.

Connectors have been devised and used for attaching and powering deviceshaving internally threaded housings and contact surfaces coaxial withthe internal housing threads. For example, European Patent Application0588279A3 describes a cylindrical battery having a retaining andmounting device in the form of an externally threaded cylinder with acontact terminal disposed at an external end of the externally threadedcylinder. However, when a display panel including a number of connectorsof this kind is used for the attachment of the jewelry item 10, itbecomes apparent that, when the jewelry item 10 is rotated into aposition on the connector in which power is provided through theconnector to the jewelry item 10, the placard 12 is disposed at a randomangle that cannot be adequately adjusted without turning off electricalpower to the jewelry item 10. In general, the placard 12 includesindicia, in the form of printed markings, an external shape, and/or theplacement of the LEDs 18, providing a preferred orientation of thejewelry item 10 on a display unit. Therefore, what is needed is aconnector for mounting an electrically powered device having a threadedmounting surface, such as the jewelry item 10, in a preferredorientation, with power being supplied to the electrically powereddevice through the connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a connector,including a housing and an electrical contact surface, is provided formounting an electrically operated device having a threaded mountingsurface to be disposed in a preferred orientation. The housing has acylindrical mounting surface extending outward around an axis, with thecylindrical mounting surface in turn including threads for engaging thethreaded mounting surface of the electrically operated device. Thethreads of the cylindrical mounting surface are configured to move theelectrically operated device along the axis of the cylindrical mountingsurface through a first distance with each revolution of theelectrically operated device around the axis of the cylindrical mountingsurface in engagement with the threads of the cylindrical mountingsurface. The electrical contact surface, which is coaxially disposedwith the threaded and electrically conductive cylindrical surface, isresiliently mounted to be held outward and to move inward along the axisof the cylindrical mounting surface through an engagement distanceexceeding the first distance.

The electrical contact surface may be formed at an end of a probemounted to slide against a compression spring within a probe mountingcylinder forming a part of the connector, with a first wire attached tothe housing and with a second wire attached to the probe mountingcylinder.

One or more such connectors may be provided within display apparatusadditionally including a display panel to which the connectors areattached and a power supply, with the first wire from each connectorbeing electrically connected to a first terminal of the power supply andwith the second wire from each connector being electrically connected toa second terminal of the power supply. One or more electrically operateddevices may be included with such display apparatus, with an orientationof each of the electrically operated devices being adjusted by rotatingthe electrically operated device with a threaded mounting surface of theelectrically operated device engaged by the threads of the cylindricalmounting surface of a connector, and with the contact surface of theconnector remaining in engagement with a contact surface of theelectrically operated device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of a currentlyavailable electrically operated device in the form of a jewelry item;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a display panel built in accordance withthe invention to hold a number of the devices of FIG. 1, which are shownin an exploded relationship with the display panel;

FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic view of the a display device includingthe display panel of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation of the display deviceof FIG. 3, showing the electrically operated device of FIG. 1 installedon a connector within the display panel of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a display panel 50 built in accordancewith the invention to hold a number of the electrically operated devices10, an example of which, in the form of a jewelry item, has beenexplained above in reference to FIG. 1. Each of the devices 10, whichare shown in an exploded relationship with the display panel 50,includes a placard 12 including windows 20 through which LEDs flash,with electrical power being provided through a connector 52 attached tothe display panel 50. The connector 52 includes a housing 54 having acylindrical mounting surface 56 extending around an axis 57 for engagingthe threaded mounting surface 36 (shown in FIG. 1) of one of theelectrically operated devices 10. The connector 52 additionally includesan electrical contact surface 58, extending outward from the housing 54,in the direction of arrow 60.

FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic view of a display device 62 includingthe display panel 50 of FIG. 2. The display device 62 includes a powersupply 64 converting a line voltage provided as an input through a plug66 in a line cord 68 to a DC voltage suitable for driving the circuitswithin the electrically operated devices 10. For example, the powersupply 64 includes a transformer 70 and a rectifier 72. The power supply64 may further include additional elements, such as filters and voltageregulation circuits, well known to those skilled in the art of powersupply design. The housing 54 within each of the connectors 52 iselectrically connected to a first output terminal 74 of the power supply64 by a first wire 76. The electrical contact surface 58 of each of theconnectors 52 is electrically connected to a second output terminal 78of the power supply 64 by a second wire 80.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation of the display device63, showing one of the electrically operated devices 10 installed on oneof the connectors 52 mounted in the display panel 50.

Before the electrically operated device 10 is installed on the connector52, various elements of the device 10, as described above in referenceto FIG. 1, are removed. These removed elements include the batteries 24,the magnets 28, 30, and the battery cap 26. The electrically operateddevice 10 is then installed on one of the connectors 52 by rotating thedevice 10 in the direction of arrow 84 (shown in FIG. 2) about the axis57 of the cylindrical mounting surface 56 of the connector 52, with thethreads of the threaded mounting surface 36 of the device 10 inengagement with the threads of the cylindrical mounting surface 56 ofthe connector 52.

The electrical contact surface 58 of the connector 52 is disposed at anouter end of a probe 86, which is mounted to slide in the outwarddirection of arrow 60 and opposite thereto, in a probe mounting cylinder88. The probe 86 is held against an outer end of a compression spring 90within the probe mounting cylinder 88. In this way, the electricalcontact surface 58 is slidably mounted to be held outward from the frontend 92 of the housing 54 by the compression spring 90 and to moveinward, opposite the direction of arrow 60, along the axis 57 of thecylindrical mounting surface 56. Features within the probe mountingcylinder 88 limit the outward movement of the probe 86 to movementthrough an engagement distance, so that the probe 86 is not ejected fromthe probe mounting cylinder 88 when the device 10 is removed from theconnector 52.

The mating threaded surfaces 36, 56 of the device 10 and the connector52 are configured so that the device 10 is moved through a firstdistance, in or opposite the direction of arrow 60, for each revolutionof the device 10 in or opposite the direction of arrow 84 with thethreaded surfaces 35, 56 in engagement with one another. For example, ifthe threads of the surfaces 36, 56 are single pitch, the first distanceis equal to the pitch distance between adjacent threads on either of thesurfaces 36, 56. In accordance with the invention, the engagementdistance, through which the electrical contact surface 58 can be moved,is greater than the first distance, through which the device 10 is movedalong the axis 57. In this way, movement of the device 10 through theengagement distance can always be used to rotate the device 10, in oropposite the direction of arrow 84, to align the device 10 in apreferred orientation, with the contact surface 58 remaining in contactwith the central contact surface 42 of the device 10 to assure continuedelectrical operation of the device 10.

The rear end 94 of the housing 54, which is disposed opposite the frontend 92 thereof, includes a cavity 96. The first wire 76 is soldered to asurface of the cavity 96, while the second wire 80 is soldered to anouter surface of the probe mounting cylinder 88 within the cavity 96. Inthis way, an electrical connection is made between the second wire 80and the electrical contact surface 58 through the conductive probemounting cylinder 88, the compression spring 90, and the probe 86.Preferably, the cavity 96 is filled with a polymeric resin 98 after theattachment of the wires 76, 80 to the surface of the cavity 96 and tothe probe mounting cylinder 88, respectively, to hold the wires 76, 80and the probe mounting cylinder 88 in place. An insulating tube 100 mayalso be installed around the probe mounting cylinder 88 to ensure thatelectrical contact does not occur between this cylinder 88 and thehousing 54. Preferably, the connector 54 additionally includes a cap102, which is screwed onto the rear end 94 of the housing 54 at athreaded connection 104 to cover the cavity 96. The wires 76, 80 extendrearward, opposite the direction of arrow 60 from the cavity 96 within atubular cover 106 through a hole 108 within the cap 96.

Conventional means are used to attach each of the connectors 52 to thepanel 50, for example, the connector 52 may be pressed into the panel 50until a flange 110 of the connector rests against a surface 112 of thepanel 50. Alternately, an adhesive may be used to hold the connector 52in place within the panel 50, or an additional clamping nut engaging anouter threaded surface (not shown) of the housing 57 may be used. Thereis no need to adjust the rotational position of the connector 52 withinthe panel 50, since each of the electrically operated devices 10 may beadjusted by rotation in or opposite the direction of arrow 84 with thecontact surface 58 remaining in contact with the central contact surface42 in accordance with the invention, so that the device 10 is held at apreferred orientation determined by the indicia, shape, and lightedwindows 20 of the placard 12 of the device 10.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that thisdescription has been given only by way of example, and that manyvariations in the arrangement of parts may be achieved without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined within theappended claims.

1. Apparatus comprising at least one electrically operated devicecomprising a jewelry item including a light emitting diode and having athreaded mounting surface and a central contact surface coaxial with thethreaded mounting surface, a power supply having first and second outputterminals, a display panel, and at least one connector attached to thedisplay panel, wherein each of the at least one connector includes: ahousing including a cylindrical mounting surface extending outwardaround an axis, including threads for engaging the threaded mountingsurface of the electrically operated device, wherein the threads of thecylindrical mounting surface are configured to move the electricallyoperated device along the axis of the cylindrical mounting surfacethrough a first distance with each revolution of the electricallyoperated device around the axis of the cylindrical mounting surface inengagement with the threads of the cylindrical mounting surface; anelectrical contact surface, coaxially disposed with the threaded andelectrically conductive cylindrical surface and resiliently mounted tobe held outward and to move inward along the axis of the cylindricalmounting surface through an engagement distance exceeding the firstdistance; a first wire electrically connected to the housing and to thefirst output terminal of the power supply; and a second wireelectrically connected to the electrical contact surface and to thesecond output terminal of the power supply, and an orientation of eachof the at least one electrically operated device is adjusted by rotatingthe electrically operated device with the threaded mounting surface ofthe electrically operated device engaged by the threads of thecylindrical mounting surface of the connector and with the centralcontact surface of the electrically operated device engaging theelectrical contact surface of the connector.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, additionally comprising a probe mounting cylinder, a compressionspring disposed within the probe mounting cylinder, and a probe mountedto slide within the probe mounting cylinder against an outer end of thecompression spring and to extend outward from an outer end of the probemounting cylinder, wherein the electrical contact surface is disposed atan outer end of the probe.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, additionallycomprising a first wire attached to the housing and a second wireattached to the probe mounting cylinder.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein the electrical contact surface extends outward from a front endof the housing, a rear end of the housing, opposite the front end of thehousing, includes a cavity, the wires are attached to the housing and tothe probe mounting cylinder within the cavity to extend rearward fromthe housing, and the cavity is filled with a polymeric resin.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4, additionally comprising a cap covering the cavityand having a central hole, wherein the wires extend rearward within atubular cover through the central hole.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the cylindrical mounting surface forms a portion of an externalsurface of the housing, and the threaded mounting surface of theelectrically operated device extends along a surface of a cavity withinthe electrically operated device.